POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Cracow
Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute
SILESIAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY Gliwice
Department of Mining and Geology
Authors: Wieslaw S. Blaschke, Lidia Gawlik
Current situation and
development prospects
of coal preparation
in Poland
! Coal preparation is one of the main
technological and economic issues connected
with the mining industry
! Coal preparation technologies are adjusted to
demand of domestic and foreign consumers
! Coal preparation technologies depend on
characteristicof raw coal
Structure of coal production in Poland
84,2% - steam coal
15,8% - coking coal
All coking coal is washed
About 48% of steam coal is washed
Capacities of coal preparation plants in Poland
Range of gross
capacity, t/day
Number of coal preparation plants
Steam coal
Coking coal
Total
2000 1500
1500 1000
11
1000 500
16
21
< 500
Total
31
12
43
Coal quality in seams
Heat content
Ash content
above 25 MJ/kg
22 - 25 MJ/kg
20 - 22 MJ/kg
below 20MJ/kg
80.4%
14.9%
3.6%
1.1%
below 10%
10 - 15%
15 - 25%
above 25%
Sulphur content
below 0.6%
0.6 - 1.0%
1.0 - 2.0%
above 2.0%
33.4%
36.8%
22.9%
6.9%
47.7%
37.2%
9.1%
6.0%
ROM coal quality
Heat content: 14.9 MJ/kg - 24.2 MJ/kg
Ash Content 17% - 42%
Quality of saleable coal:
Steam coal (as received)
Sulphur content: 0.45% - 1.22% (average: 0.83%)
Ash content: 8.0% - 24.1% (average: 19.1%)
Heat content: 29.7 MJ/kg - 19.8 MJ/kg (average: 22.4 MJ/kg)
Coarse coal
Sulphur content: 0.67%
Ash content: 6.8%
Heat content: 29.5 MJ/kg
Coking coal (dry basis)
Sulphur content: 0.51% - 0.87% (average: 0.67%)
Ash content: 5.8% - 8.3% (average: 6.8%)
Heat content: 28.2 MJ/kg 31.6 MJ/kg (average: 29.5 MJ/kg)
Quality of coal fines for the domestic purposes are
much lower than international standards:
Demanded quality in the international markets:
Heat content: Q = ~ 25 MJ/kg
Ash content: A = maximum 15%
Sulphur content: S = 0.8 1.0%
Quality of sold fines in Poland:
Q=20.6 MJ/kg
38% - unwashed coal fines:
A = 22.6%
S = 0.86%
40% mixtures of washed
and unwashed coal:
22% washed coal fines:
Q= 22.1 MJ/kg
A=21.1%
S = 0.87%
Q= 24.8 MJ/kg
A = 12%
S = 0.72%
50 coal preparation plants exist
(40 in coal mines and 10 independent)
In all coal preparation plants there exist section for preparation middle and
coarse grains (above 20 (10) mm).
Production capacity of those sections is 90.8 mln tonnes of raw coal.
In 38 coal preparation plants there exist sections for preparation fines of
grain sizes from 20 (10) mm to 0.5 mm.
Sections for slimes flotation work in 16 coal preparation plants. They treat
coals of grain sizes from 1.0 (0.5) mm to 0 and can wash 10.1 ml tonnes of
raw coal.
Capacities of coal preparation plants and their sections are not fully used, as
they work only to meet market demand.
Production capacities of coal preparation plants are used in 68%,
sections for coarse grains preparation - in 44%,
fines sections - in 79%
flotation sections - in 66%
The structure of production and quality of saleable
coal (2002 averages)
Item
Production
Quality parameters
Ml t
Q, kJ/kg
A, %
S, %
1. Coking coal
15.9
15.6
29 366
6.9
0.65
2. Steam coal
86.2
84.4
22 852
17.9
0.80
2.1. Grain class + 20 mm
8.0
7.8
27 424
6.2
0.65
2.2. Grain class 208 mm
2.8
2.7
28 116
6.1
0.59
2.3. Grain class 20(10)(8)0 mm
71.5
70.1
22 269
20.8
0.84
2.3.1. Washed fines
16.3
16.0
25 392
11.3
0.72
2.3.2. Unwashed fines
27.9
27.4
20 394
29.8
0.88
2.3.3. Fines mixtures
27.2
26.7
22 319
23.3
0.84
2.3.4. Semi-products
3.9
3.8
20 447
18.9
0.75
102.1
100.0
23 865
16.1
0.77
Total - hard coal
Number of coal preparation plants and units in
Poland and their capacities
Item
Number
of
sections/
plants
Gross
capacity,
t/h.
43
Gravitational washing class +
20(10) mm
42
Gravitational washing class
650 mm
Gravitational washing class
20(10)0 mm
Flotation class 1.0 (0.5)0 mm
Coal preparation plants (total)
Production capacity
t/day
(16 hours
of work )
Ml
t/year
43 530
696 480
174.1
19 760
316 160
79.0
30
15 790
252 640
63.1
14
2 105
33 680
8.4
Out of which:
Sections of grain class washing
Capacities of the sections according to applied
washing equipment
Technology of
washing
Capacity of the section
t/h
Dense media
separators
16 935
47.6
Jigs
16 440
46.2
Hydrocyclones
765
2.1
Dense media
cyclones
450
1.3
Spirals
660
1.9
Parnaby Barells
300
0.9
35 550
100
Total
The technological scheme of steam coal preparation plant
Ra w c oa l
(1)
Ov a l throw s c re e n
Jaw c rus he r
(3)
(2)
S traig ht-line v ibra ting s c re e n
Ov a l throw s c re e n (4)
De ns e -me dium s e parato r (7)
S tra ig ht-line v ibra ting s c re e n (18 )
Re fus e
S tationa ry s c re e n 1,0 mm
(8)
S tra ig ht-line v ibrating s c re e n (9)
Vo r s iv c o nic al s ie v e (5)
to de ns e me dium tank
(10 )
Re c upe ra to r
S tra ig ht-line v ibrating s c re e n (6)
Ov a l throw s c re e n (12 )
Re c upe ra tor
(11 )
Nuts
Clas s ifying tank
Cube s
(14 )
Ov al throw s c re e n (13 )
P e as to s e ll
o r to c rus h
Do rr thic ke ne r
(15 )
J aw c rus he r
(16 )
Va c uum dis c filte r
Circ ular wa te r
Fine s IIA
(17 )
30-0 mm
Livellas screen
The technological
scheme of the coal fines
preparation and
desulphurisation plant
(1)
Jiq
(2)
Wastes
Straight-line vibrating screen
(3)
Concentrate
Vibrating centrifuge (4)
Concentrate
HC D=500
Spirals
(5)
(6)
HC D=100
Spirals
(11)
(7)
Spirals
Bend sieve
(13)
Screen
(12)
(8)
Spirals
(9)
Screen
(10)
(14)
HC D=100
Wastes
Flocculant
Slimes from washing
+ 30 mm
Flocculant
Hyperbaric filter
(15)
Concentrate
Lamella tickeners
(16)
Circural water
Dorr tickener
(18)
Tailings
(17)
Filter presses
The technological scheme of the coking
coal preparation plant
Raw co al
Screen
120 mm
Jig
Wastes
20-0 mm
Cru sher
Screen
Vo r-siv co n ical sieve
Midd ling s
20-0 mm
20 mm
Dens e-medium sep .
Centrifug e
S ieve
Screen
Co n cen trate
20-0 mm
Fro m recuperatio n
S creen
Crush er
S ieve
= 1.47
Wastes
200-20 mm
Classificatio n su mp
S creen
Flo tatio n
Co ncentrate
20-0 mm
= 1.74
Vacu um filter
Thickener
Dryer
= 1.1
Mid dlin g s 200-20 mm
Flo tatio n
co ncentrate
Recuperato r
S usp end ed matter
To a clas sificatio n sump
Tailin g s
Filter p ress es
Circu ral
water
Groups of steam coal preparation plants:
I. Two - product washing of grain sizes 200 - 20 (10) mm in dense media
separators or water jigs.
Grains below 20 (10) mm are sold as raw coal.
II. Two - product washing of grains 200 - 20 (10) mm in dense media
separators or water jigs.
Two - product washing of grain sizes 20 (10) - 2 mm in water jigs or
water cyclones.
Grains below 0.5 mm are added to coal fines to prepare saleable
mixture of steam coal.
III. Two - product washing of grain sizes 200 - 20 (10) mm in dense media
separators or water jigs.
Two - product washing of grains 20 (10) - 2 mm in water jigs.
Washing of grain sizes 2 - 0.5 mm in spirals.
Two - product washing of grains 0.5 - 0.2 mm in hydrocyclones.
Groups of steam coal preparation plants:
IV. Two - product washing of grains 200 - 20 (10) mm in dense media
separators or water jigs.
Washing of grain sizes 20 - 0.5 mm or 12 - 0.9 mm in dense media
cyclones.
Washing classes 3 (0.9) - 0 (0.2) mm in water cyclones
or spirals.
V. Classes above 0.5 mm are washed in one of above-mentioned
schemes.
For the class below 0.5 mm flotation is used.
VI. Three - product washing is used in some coal preparation plants.
Separated middlings are re-washed or sold as coal of lower quality.
Groups of coking coal preparation plants:
I. Three - product washing of grain sizes 200 - 20 mm in dense
media separators.
Two - product washing of classes 20 - 0.5 mm in water jigs
or in dense media cyclones.
Two - product washing of crushed middlings (class 6 - 0.5)
in water jigs or in dense media cyclones.
Grains below 0.5 mm are floated.
II. Selective crushing of raw coal to get grains 60 (50) mm.
Three - product washing of class 60(50) - 0.5 mm in jigs.
Crushing of middlings to below 6 mm and washing
of class 6 - 0.5 mm in water jigs or dense media cyclones.
Flotation of grains below 0.5 mm.
Polish typical coal preparation plant
Polish preliminary
classification screens
Equipment - washing of coal sizes
above 20 (10) mm
Polish dense media separators type Disa
(Disa 1, Disa 2S, Disa KU, Disa KR)
or Polish water jigs (OBZ, OZ, OZL, OS).
One separator Drew-Boy from the firm Denver washes coal sizes 600 - 6 mm - very effective.
Polish dense
media separator
type DISA
Equipment - fine grains washing
Classes 20 (10) - 0.5 (0.2) mm are usually washed in Polish jigs
(OBM, OM, OS)
and domestic hydrocyclones (HWO, HKZ).
Foreign machines are also installed:
Allmineral and Batac jigs,
Parnaby and AKW hydrocyclones,
Krebs dense media cyclones,
Reichert spirals.
Barrel concentrators.
427 concentrators work in Poland,
out of which 351 - of Polish production
76 - from import.
Polish jigs type OS
Equipment - flotation
Flotation is used to wash coking coal.
In two of steam coal preparation plants flotation is
experimentally used. (Polish steam coals are difficult to float).
The basic flotation machines are mechanic flotation machines
produced in Poland (IZ5, IZ12)
and column flotation machines (FLOKOB 12, FLOKOB 24,
FLOKOB 40).
Imported flotation machines are also used - type Allminerall
(Allflot) and Denver.
Section of flotation
Equipment - dewatering
Coarse grains:
In vibrating screens produced in Poland (WP-2, PWP-1, PWE,
PWL-Z).
Concentrates of grain sizes below 20 mm:
screen - dewatering sieve (OSO) - vibration centrifuge (WOW) dewatering machine (Nael).
In some plants Humbold centrifuges (HSG) work, as well as
Wemco (H-900) or Humbold dewatering machines (Konturbex).
Equipment - dewatering
Slimes (grains below 0.5 mm):
dewatering sieve - hydraulic classifier - radial thickener
Dorra - vacuum filter.
vacuum and disc filters (FTB, FTC, FTBO),
domestic filter presses (PF-570, PF 1.2, PF 1.5),
hydrocyclones HKZ.
pressure filters Andritz (HBF-96)
belt filter presses (CPF-2200, PL-2200)
Sieve-sedimentary centrifuges and sedimentary centrifuges
from BIRD, Decanter, Humbold-Wedag and Wemco.
Flotation tailings:
domestically produced filter presses ROW (type PF-570),
imported presses from Andritz (type CPF-2200).
Filter presses EIMCO and CENDED 2000 are also used.
Polish filter press type PF
Polish dewatering machines
Equipment - drying
Drying of coal concentrates is applied only in coking
coal preparation plants.
13 dryers work in Poland, and they are equipped in:
domestically produced dryer machines
(type ROW I and ROW II)
foreign dryers type Denver and Hoelter.
Equipment - control
The work of coal preparation plants is centrally
monitored and controlled from control room.
In a part of plants the equipment for on-line monitoring
of sulphur and moisture content are installed.
Some of parts the plants are automated (heavy media,
jigs, flotation).
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